


Swimming Lessons

by WildnessBecomesYou



Category: Ratched (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, beach date, gwendolyn briggs is ripped fite me, like very brief and in the context of mildred being horny, mexico fluff, so fluff!, with mild musings about homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:47:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27286669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WildnessBecomesYou/pseuds/WildnessBecomesYou
Summary: Mildred doesn't know how to swim. Gwendolyn is going to change that.
Relationships: Gwendolyn Briggs/Mildred Ratched
Comments: 50
Kudos: 152





	Swimming Lessons

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Comicbooklovergreen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Comicbooklovergreen/gifts).



> Requested by Comicbooklovergreen, because I mentioned that Mildred can't swim. Or couldn't swim? She's working on it here? 
> 
> Sorry I went so long without posting! Work got w i l d 
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!!

_“Tell me something,” Gwendolyn says around a mouthful._

_Mildred swallows, waiting for a further prompt. But there isn’t one, and the silence sits longer than she thinks it should. She takes a sip of coffee, then asks, “Anything?”_

_Gwendolyn nods. “Anything.”_

_“Oh, uhm…” she toys with the handle of her mug for a moment. “I don’t know how to swim.”_

_Gwendolyn’s eyes light up and she gasps. “Well, we shall have to change that!”_

Mildred will join Gwendolyn on the beach, but she doesn’t follow Gwendolyn into the water. Not normally. 

Mildred isn’t sure why today is different. They had a habit of finding the quietest parts of the beach anyways, where Mildred can read while Gwendolyn swims out and back, out and back. Where Gwendolyn can come get a kiss when she tires for the moment. 

But when they walk down to the beach today, sandals in hand, Gwendolyn already removing her charming sunhat, Mildred follows Gwendolyn down to the water. Gwendolyn turns and smiles at her. 

“You’re coming in?” Mildred nods without words, and Gwendolyn reaches out for her. “I thought you couldn’t swim?” 

“I— I can’t,” Mildred confirms. 

Gwendolyn looks around them. She’s squinting, and Mildred wants to touch the spots by her eyes where the lines record the history of her life. But Gwendolyn seems to decide they’re safe from prying gazes and pulls her close.

She holds Mildred like they’re about to dance, one arm around her waist and the other holding their hands to her shoulder. A wave pushes up against them, and Mildred’s feet stumble in the wet sand, but Gwendolyn stays steady. She holds Mildred up with a smile and it strikes Mildred— not for the first time— just how strong Gwendolyn is beneath it all. 

Another wave rocks past them, and Mildred is ready this time, digs her heels into the sand. Gwendolyn risks a kiss to her forehead and warmth spreads through her. 

“That’s good,” Gwendolyn says against her skin, “you’re such a quick learner.” Mildred shivers and it earns her a squeeze closer. 

The water is warm today. The weather is pleasant, halfway-cloudy skies leaving the world around them glistening without being blinding. There should be more people on this beach, but there aren’t, and Mildred is grateful. Gwendolyn tugs her further in as the tide goes out, and by the time another wave has washed past them they’ve gone from thigh-deep to hip-deep.

“Gwendolyn?”

Her voice is small, and she hates that. It’s just the ocean. She’s watched the ocean countless times. She’s watched Gwendolyn swim countless times. She shouldn’t be afraid. 

Gwendolyn smiles at her. “Bend your knees,” she says, and then most of her body is no longer visible. “C’mon, sweetheart, water’s just fine.”

Mildred holds tight to Gwendolyn’s hand. She trusts the strawberry-blonde. She knows Gwendolyn won’t let her get hurt. So she bends her knees, lets her body go until her shoulders are below the water. It earns her a grin from Gwendolyn, her eyes and nose crinkling until Mildred almost loses track of the blue in her eyes. 

Another wave comes up over them, and Mildred sputters against it, flails and kicks as it comes too close to her face for comfort. She’s swept to the side immediately— panic rises for a moment before she feels the warmth of Gwendolyn’s skin against her, and she wraps herself around Gwendolyn. 

“Just a wave,” Gwendolyn murmurs into her ear. There’s a quick kiss pressed to her temple, and Mildred squeezes her closer. “There’s gonna be a lot of those.”

“Wait, please,” Mildred rushes, even though Gwendolyn hasn’t moved at all. 

But Gwendolyn can hear the fear, so she rubs her hand against Mildred’s back and doesn’t push her away. Mildred closes her eyes against the lapping of the waves, the water teasing at her arms around Gwendolyn’s shoulders. She feels how the ocean rocks them, the occasional hop Gwendolyn does to counteract the force. 

“Ideally, I’d be teaching you in a much more still environment,” Gwendolyn says against her. Mildred makes a questioning noise. “Like the pool. But that’s rarely ever quiet enough.” 

“What if we just stayed like this?” 

Gwendolyn chuckles. She pushes slightly at Mildred’s hips, and Mildred lets her, though she whines about it. Gwendolyn rolls her eyes fondly and looks around again before she leans forward and kisses Mildred. 

It might be the waves, but Mildred’s world spins with it. She digs her fingers into Gwendolyn’s shoulders. The waves lap at them gently, and the rushing in her ears is familiar, and she realizes the way she wants Gwendolyn sounds like the ocean. 

“Not here,” Gwendolyn breathes against her, and she whines as she pulls back. “Not today— maybe someday.”

Mildred knows she’s right. Even if she and Gwendolyn were a normal couple, it would be positively indecent for Gwendolyn to have her in the ocean. That doesn’t mean that she’s happy Gwendolyn is right. 

They take a few steadying breaths together, the ocean pushing at them lightly. 

“Alright,” Gwendolyn murmurs eventually, “do you trust me?”

“Of course.” It’s immediate. Gwendolyn smiles that brilliant smile at her again and oh, she wants to see that smile all the time, always. 

“Let’s get you on your back, then.” 

Mildred is confused, but Gwendolyn guides her, hands on her back and foot nudging at Mildred’s feet. She finds herself facing the sky, her eyes locking in on a cloud as she bobs and weaves in the sea below it. 

“Keep your back flat,” Gwendolyn says, moving so she’s standing by Mildred’s hip, her hands never leaving Mildred’s body. “Legs up, but push your hips up too— there you go!” 

She sounds proud of Mildred, and it sends a little jolt through her, a brush of warmth that spreads all the way down to her toes. 

“I’m gonna let you go, see if you can float on your own.”

“Gwendolyn, wait—“ 

But her fingers slide away from Mildred’s skin, and she backs away, and Mildred holds her breath. She’s floating for a moment, and then a tiny lap of water comes up over her cheek and she sputters, her hips sinking as she tries to sit up, and the water is rushing in around her— 

Gwendolyn pulls her up and out of the water and she gasps. “That’s okay, hey, you’re alright, darling,” she murmurs, lips to Mildred’s forehead as she cradles her close. “I’ve got you.” 

And Mildred clings to her, but she knows Gwendolyn has her. She knows Gwendolyn won’t let anything bad happen to her. So she catches her breath and says, “Can I try again?” 

Gwendolyn presses another kiss to her forehead. The beach is still silent. “Of course, sweetheart. Try not to hold your breath this time.” 

So Mildred focuses on breathing when Gwendolyn’s hands leave her this time, and it’s strangely peaceful, the way her ears sink below the water. She can hear Gwendolyn moving below the surface, and she closes her eyes. It’s oddly relaxing— the way the ocean pushes against her lightly, rocking her towards and away from the shore, the rush and hush of the water beneath the surface, the gentle gurgling sounds in her ears. 

Eventually Gwendolyn’s hands find her shoulders, and she’s being gently pulled through the water. “Kick your legs,” she hears, and it’s muffled by the water around her head. 

“Hmm?”

“Kick your legs, darling.”

She follows directions, but it’s harder to keep afloat when she’s kicking, too. Gwendolyn helps, keeping her head above water, until Gwendolyn bobs, tells her she can stop. Mildred tries to stand, but it’s too deep, and she panics for a moment. 

“Kick,” Gwendolyn says again, and she does, her arms flailing. Somehow, it all has her bobbing above the surface. 

“There you go,” Gwendolyn smiles. “Now you’re treading water.” 

“How do we get back?” Mildred asks, somewhat breathless. The ocean is not as easy to navigate as Gwendolyn makes it seem, and it’s quite tiring, and she’d really like to lay down on a solid place. 

Gwendolyn smiles. “We swim.”

Mildred huffs. She’s getting a little tired, going like this, and she doesn’t understand how Gwendolyn makes this look so effortless. But Gwendolyn moves towards her again, and she braces herself for that sweet impact. 

Gwendolyn’s hands find her waist under the water, her palms sliding against her skin, and Mildred leans towards her as much as she can. 

And then she’s being pushed backwards, and she yelps slightly as Gwendolyn laughs. But the waves retreat and play catch-up with Gwendolyn as she moves Mildred towards the shore. Mildred wraps herself around Gwendolyn for as long as she can— she wants Gwendolyn. 

She wants, and yes, the beach is not the place to engage in relieving that want, but perhaps if she hints at it enough, Gwendolyn will take her back to their apartment and show off her strength in a different way. 

Eventually, though, Mildred’s more aware of the sand than she’d like to be, and she knows they can’t risk Gwendolyn carrying her up over the shore. She lets Gwendolyn push her away slightly and stands, aware of the way the water rushes over the triangle of bare skin on her abdomen. She’s also aware of the way Gwendolyn’s eyes trace over her. 

But Gwendolyn doesn’t rise from the ocean. She licks her lips and says “I’ll be out in a bit, sweetheart, go lay down.” 

She huffs. Gwendolyn is teasing her, which isn’t fair. But she does go lay down, smoothing out the blanket before lying face-down on her stomach, letting the sun warm her back for a bit. She turns over as she grows impatient, propping herself up on her elbows. 

She finds Gwen quickly— is today some sort of holiday? There’s still no one on this beach— as the woman swims back towards the shore, then stops, breathing deeper than normally but still steady. Mildred watches as she stands in the water, watches the waves, and then— 

She dives through a wave, and Mildred is transfixed. The water simply forms around her as she disappears, sealing itself back up as if Gwendolyn hasn’t gone through it. Mildred sits up, looking for Gwendolyn, not entirely free from anxiety. The light glints off the water for a moment that’s too long for comfort. Just as Mildred is convinced she’s lost Gwendolyn, and she’s never going to be able to hold the woman or be held by her again, just as the panic really sets in, Gwendolyn bursts through the water. 

She’s maybe a meter further than she had been, and she keeps moving out, arms cycling through water, air, water before she disappears again. 

Mildred lets out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. 

Gwendolyn reappears facing her. It’s uneven, her progress towards the shore, the waves dragging her back out slightly as they retreat from the beach. She surges forward with every crash, and the real progress is made in that moment of suspense, where she turns her head and sucks in a breath as she pulls and kicks at the water. 

It’s certainly a display of grace, and one Mildred thinks she’ll never get to. Gwendolyn stands in the waves at some point, still sucking in great breaths, and buries one hand in her loose hair, shakes it out. Drops of water fly away from her face.

She’s lit up by the sun, and she’s an angel walking the earth, she’s the very picture of the birth of Venus. 

Gwendolyn spots her and smiles, starts to walk out of the water and towards Mildred, and all the air leaves Mildred’s lungs. 

She’s stunning. She shines in the light, sparkling with the remnants of the waves that cling to her. Her swimsuit clings to her too, the halter-neck of the top keeping her chest firmly in place. The whole thing shows off her figure and Mildred finds her mouth going dry. 

Gwendolyn is fit. She’s an attractive woman, she’s got a gorgeous frame, but even in the midst of recovery she manages to be so strong. The definition in her arms and her calves make it unsurprising that she can lift Mildred over her shoulder without a second thought. And her thighs— they’re glorious and strong and as soft as they can be so much of the time, and Mildred desperately wants her hands on those thighs. 

And then Gwendolyn is standing over her, smirking down at what Mildred is sure is a bright red flush. 

“Did we let you get sunburned, darling?”

Mildred swallows again, looks around. There’s no one that she can see, and they’re cradled by a dip in the rock formation that means they’ll be able to see an intruder before the intruder sees them. So she reaches up, and Gwendolyn kneels down immediately, straddling Mildred. Mildred’s hands fall to those thighs, fingers squeezing lightly at the flesh and muscle she finds there. 

“Ah,” Gwendolyn smiles, bracing herself above Mildred. “I guess my workout isn’t done.”

Mildred stretches up to kiss her, and Gwendolyn pushes down and kisses her back. She rocks her hips back towards Mildred’s hands, then surges forward, pressing her hips into Mildred’s. 

Mildred wishes— just for a moment— that things were different. That the world didn’t hate their love so much. That Gwendolyn were a man, so she could take Mildred right here, and their lives wouldn’t end if someone came across them. 

She only wishes it for a moment, because then Gwendolyn’s hand brushes across her breast and she moans into Gwendolyn’s mouth. 

Gwendolyn pulls back to shush her, eyes dark, and Mildred interrupts her. 

“Take me home, Gwen,” she rasps, “and teach me how to _swim_.”

**Author's Note:**

> AND SO THE ONE SHOTS COME TO A CLOSE for the moment. 
> 
> Longfic impending!!!
> 
> Drop me a line below :)


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